‘Rob's Big Losers' challenge kicks off at Lelia Patterson

Monday

Apr 22, 2013 at 3:00 AM

What should've been a high-flying time with his daughter was one of the lowest moments in Rob Dempsey's life.

By Nathaniel AxtellTimes-News Staff Writer

What should've been a high-flying time with his daughter was one of the lowest moments in Rob Dempsey's life. The radio personality was at Charlotte's Carowinds amusement park with Amanda, then 9 years old, and Dempsey's 308-pound frame would not fit in the safety harness of "The Borg Assimilator" ride, despite the attempts of three attendants to strap him in. After waiting in line for two hours, Dempsey and his daughter left without riding "The Borg." That embarrassing episode in June 2004 was the final straw for Dempsey, the program director and morning show host for Greenville-based Christian radio station HIS Radio 89.3 FM. "That was a trigger for me; that was the point where I said, ‘I have to do something and I have to do it now,' " Dempsey told a crowd of roughly 50 people in Hendersonville Sunday.With the help of a fitness coach at the YMCA, Dempsey overhauled his diet, began exercising and dropped more than 140 pounds in 16 months.But he didn't want to do it alone. Dempsey invited his listeners to join him on a journey to better health, creating a 12-week fitness program with the help of Greenville's YMCA called "Rob's Big Losers." Since it debuted in 2005, the program has helped more than 250 people take steps toward a healthier lifestyle.On Sunday, Dempsey – now a muscular marathoner – kicked off his "Big Losers" challenge at the Lelia Patterson Center, with help from partners at Park Ridge Health and WLOS-TV. Sixteen area applicants were chosen to participate in a 12-week lifestyle overhaul, using Dempsey as their on-air motivator.The program involves nutrition and exercise education, weekly group activities, exercise boot camps, food journaling and blog writing. Participants, including at least four Park Ridge employees, receive a free 3-month membership at Lelia Patterson's fitness facility and free wellness coaching throughout the program. Like the network TV show "The Biggest Loser," two teams of eight contestants compete to see who can make the most progress, not just in weight loss, but in changing their lifestyles. As with the TV program, each team has two coaches to challenge and motivate participants, as well as two Park Ridge Health doctors to monitor their progress.A challenge was what Edwin Robling, 32, of Hendersonville was looking for when he applied for "Rob's Big Losers." The director of Park Ridge Health's materials management department, Robling said a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits helped him add about 50 pounds to his 6-foot-3-inch frame and raised his cholesterol."I do better in a pressured environment," he said. "I'm looking forward to working with a team and getting myself jump-started towards a healthier lifestyle. It's easy to make excuses. But when you're disappointing your team, it's harder to make bad choices."Dempsey, who lost 70 pounds in the 1990s but gained it back, counseled participants to remain vigilant with their weight-loss regimes."It's up to you to do the work, because if you don't, you will never see the results," he said.Team 1 consists of Lisa Sheppherd of Arden; Candace Goings of Mills River; Gaile Osborne of Black Mountain; Stacey Pederson of Penrose; Stacey Griffin of Arden; and April Mincey, Nicki Fauntleroy and Robling of Hendersonville. Their challengers, Team 2, is made up of Asheville's Nick Henderson; Stacy Bishop of East Flat Rock; Roger Duckett Jr. of Flat Rock; Heather Krueger of Arden; Lisa Clemens of Fletcher; and Donna Dotson, Darlene Robinson and Melissa Sweeterman of Hendersonville.To follow the participants as they blog about their challenges in the next 12 weeks, visit http://robsbiglosers.com.